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"[GAME] Whale Trail (Xperia Play/Android)"

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This thread has been linked to the game 'Whale Trail'.
Mon 13/02/12 at 10:27
Moderator
"possibly impossible"
Posts: 24,985
Whale Trail is like tripping out on too many fluffy marshmallows. It's so fluffy, bright and sugary sweet that you just have to have one more, even though you know that the basic ingredients are, well, basic.

Wales Trail

The path to success has been helped by a catchy theme tune doing the rounds on Youtube, sung by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals fame.But Whale Trail's main draw is that it's a simple game which looks great and is fun to play.

Whale of a story

The story is cute and just a little bizarre; Willow the Whale is quite happily swimming about in the sea when an evil squid, called Baron von Barry, tries to capture him. Finding the end of a rainbow, Willow manages to get into the sky for safety, but has to collect bubbles to stay up, while avoiding the Thunder Bros (dark storm clouds). Cue 60s rainbow effects and grumpy looking clouds.

As the game begins, you find yourself helping Willow by collecting bubbles and avoiding the storm clouds. A one-touch control system keeps things simple as you press to launch Willow into the air and let go to let him fall. Holding the screen, or pressing a button on the Xperia Play, will allow the whale to do a loop the loop (complete with comments like 'I can see my house from here'), helpful for catching more bubbles.

Time Trail

In addition to the bubbles, stars are dotted around the screen, often along the same path as the bubbles. Once enough of these are collected you enter a frenzy, which allows Willow to blast through the Thunder Bros and collect all the bubbles in the area. Speed Boost areas, marked with a whirl, enable the finned hero to soar further into the air and collect extra bubbles, all the time adding to your multiplier which continues to grow as you collect more objects.

The multiplier is the key to scoring in the game and also to the game's longevity over the simple gameplay and short number of courses. As you collect bubbles your meter fills. Stop collecting and the meter runs out, sending your poor whale towards the waiting arms of the squid. Once the meter is full, the multiplier takes over, going from 2x to 4x and onward. Hitting a Thunder Bros cloud knocks it back down, as does letting your meter run low. Achievements are unlocked for multipliers and high scores can be measured across the world.

Extra Trail

Achieving more than 50,000 points will unlock the Challenge Pack, which is almost a new game in itself. These challenges are smaller levels that need to be completed with a minimum number of bubbles in order to pass to the next stage. In good old fashioned mobile gaming style, there are three stars to achieve on each level and passing specific scores will gain an extra star. This mode really changes the game from a typical endless runner to something more goal based and it's all the better for it.

With two modes (and one to come) providing two different takes on the game and a great 'one more try' feel, Whale Trail is a worthy addition to the endless runner genre. The 60's vibe and unique art style, not to mention the catchy song, all collide to make this a must have Android game.

9/10
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Mon 13/02/12 at 10:27
Moderator
"possibly impossible"
Posts: 24,985
Whale Trail is like tripping out on too many fluffy marshmallows. It's so fluffy, bright and sugary sweet that you just have to have one more, even though you know that the basic ingredients are, well, basic.

Wales Trail

The path to success has been helped by a catchy theme tune doing the rounds on Youtube, sung by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals fame.But Whale Trail's main draw is that it's a simple game which looks great and is fun to play.

Whale of a story

The story is cute and just a little bizarre; Willow the Whale is quite happily swimming about in the sea when an evil squid, called Baron von Barry, tries to capture him. Finding the end of a rainbow, Willow manages to get into the sky for safety, but has to collect bubbles to stay up, while avoiding the Thunder Bros (dark storm clouds). Cue 60s rainbow effects and grumpy looking clouds.

As the game begins, you find yourself helping Willow by collecting bubbles and avoiding the storm clouds. A one-touch control system keeps things simple as you press to launch Willow into the air and let go to let him fall. Holding the screen, or pressing a button on the Xperia Play, will allow the whale to do a loop the loop (complete with comments like 'I can see my house from here'), helpful for catching more bubbles.

Time Trail

In addition to the bubbles, stars are dotted around the screen, often along the same path as the bubbles. Once enough of these are collected you enter a frenzy, which allows Willow to blast through the Thunder Bros and collect all the bubbles in the area. Speed Boost areas, marked with a whirl, enable the finned hero to soar further into the air and collect extra bubbles, all the time adding to your multiplier which continues to grow as you collect more objects.

The multiplier is the key to scoring in the game and also to the game's longevity over the simple gameplay and short number of courses. As you collect bubbles your meter fills. Stop collecting and the meter runs out, sending your poor whale towards the waiting arms of the squid. Once the meter is full, the multiplier takes over, going from 2x to 4x and onward. Hitting a Thunder Bros cloud knocks it back down, as does letting your meter run low. Achievements are unlocked for multipliers and high scores can be measured across the world.

Extra Trail

Achieving more than 50,000 points will unlock the Challenge Pack, which is almost a new game in itself. These challenges are smaller levels that need to be completed with a minimum number of bubbles in order to pass to the next stage. In good old fashioned mobile gaming style, there are three stars to achieve on each level and passing specific scores will gain an extra star. This mode really changes the game from a typical endless runner to something more goal based and it's all the better for it.

With two modes (and one to come) providing two different takes on the game and a great 'one more try' feel, Whale Trail is a worthy addition to the endless runner genre. The 60's vibe and unique art style, not to mention the catchy song, all collide to make this a must have Android game.

9/10

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